Alberta’s border crackdown draws support and criticism from experts, rural leaders [Video]

As one southern Alberta community welcomes the crackdown on border security unveiled Thursday by Premier Danielle Smith, some experts question the need for the investment.

Randy Bullock is the reeve of Cardston County, which sits on the 298-kilometre border Alberta shares with Montana. He said a two-kilometre-deep border zone that will be policed by the province’s new Interdiction Patrol Team (IPT) is an important announcement.

“We need to be proactive and have safe measures in place to protect from that illegal activity,” said Bullock, who added that the mayors of the communities of Cardston and Magrath are in agreement.

But even as Bullock supports the effort, he admits that incidents of trafficking illicit drugs, weapons or people across the border isn’t something he’s familiar with in his community.

“It’s a rare occurrence,” Bullock said. “We have 90 kilometres of border in Cardston County, alongside the state of Montana, and I’m …